Tired and overworked students will try anything to get that extra edge to stay up all night and study. Students, specifically college students, find solace in a little pill called Adderall. Adderall is a drug used for treatment and control of neurological disorders that affect adults and kids, specifically those with attention deficit hyperactive disorder (ADHD) and narcolepsy. Formerly known as Obetrol, it was first approved on February 21st, 1996 by the FDA and was in the warehouses by March 11th, 1996. However, Adderall was used as a substitute to caffeine, speed, or to even reach a natural high by students at high pressure college and prep schools before it was a drug known to aid people with ADHD (Kent 2013). Lawrence Diller, M.D., a member of the University of California, San Francisco’s clinical faculty has prescribed these …show more content…
This is said with the idea that even though Adderall is a Schedule II Substance, it doesn’t seem as dangerous or serious as heroin. A big part in the philosophy of this is because it’s extremely easy to obtain on college campuses. In an interview done by Hercampus.com, Amanda states that, “On my campus, […] Adderall is extremely easy to find. Sometimes you don’t even have to ask for it if your friends take it regularly and study with you often […] People will try to sell [Adderall] to get cash for laundry money” (Gladu 2015). Even though it’s a Schedule II drug, a nationwide survey showed that it’s only considered as “very dangerous” by two percent of students. The survey also showed that the percent of student that believe nonmedical use of Adderall is “not dangerous at all” or only “slightly dangerous” is a whopping eighty-one percent (Zadrozny 2015). In short, the students that take Adderall don’t see how it can affect them because they are getting the drug from their friend, or classmate, and not in some dark alleyway associated with the more intense
ADHD is believed to be caused by abnormalities in the dopamine neurotransmitters in the brain (Berne 4). The symptoms of ADHD include inattention, impulsiveness and hyperactivity that are inappropriate for a person's age level. In other words, the patient’s brain is like a light constantly going off and on at the worst possible times. Although there is no cure for ADHD, treatment can help control symptoms. Stimulant therapy is the most commonly used type of treatment. These drugs improve ADHD symptoms in 70 percent of adults and 70-80 percent of children shortly after starting treatment (ADHD 3). Adderall RX, or its formal name of Methylphenidate, is the most common form of treatment for ADHD. In an article by Dr. Phillip W. Long, he states that, “The mode of action in man is not completely understood, but meth...
Another persuasive technique we used was appealing to dramatic benefits of the post-treatment of adderall by having a student imitate exaggerated behaviors of short attention span and impulsive nature that resulted in poor grades. Then after the same student takes adderall, he portrays a completely different character and becomes very attentive and productive in his studies, which results to an A in his next assignment. This is critical in Singh’s “Not Just Naughty: 50 years of stimulant drug advertising”, as he emphasizes how drug advertisements commonly present a post-treatment normal reality of highly idealized “portrait of an ideal family—bright, at...
Duran had already been on probation with the medical board of California due to similar activity in the past. There are many ways to get Adderall, but one way is through psychiatrists who do not perform all the basic tests necessary for an adult to get a diagnosis first. A college student may know someone with ADHD and buy some pills off of that person. As crazy as it sounds it happens, and it happens a lot. Students are aware of what goes on but it is accepted because that person is only trying to get their grades up. A college student by the name of Cheyne spoke briefly about what he remembered the process to be like. In his case, he went through his primary medical institution and asked for the prescription. His primary care physician then got him an appointment with a local psychiatrist of whom then they could if applicable prescribe him Adderall. He said that all he really had to do was talk about his feelings and why he thinks he needs the drug, he ended up getting his prescription. Although Cheyne’s story does not and cannot apply to everyone who attempts to get a prescription for Adderall, many people will try. Cheyne actually has ADHD and Adderall indeed helps him, but that is because it adjusts certain chemicals within the brain. Amber Dance author of “Smart drugs: a dose of intelligence” writes that even athletes are trying to take Adderall in order to stay focused. Specifically, she talks about gamers who take Adderall to try and stay awake and focused to continue playing. Yes, there is some research to support the fact that Adderall and stimulants alike may have a small positive effect on people the majority of the information found that it affects people who do not have ADHD negatively
Like Brown, Smith had never taken these prescriptions commonly called “study drugs” before coming to college. Smith cites increasing academic pressure as a reason for using the pills to focus and gain an edge. Both Brown and Smith receive free pills from their friends who have prescriptions but they would expect to pay $2-$5 a pill if they had to. In 2000 , NIDA’s Community Epidemiology Work Group found the abuse of methylphenidate (Ritalin) in Boston to be prevalent amongst middle and high school students; especially in middle- and upper-middle class communities.
Kondro, W. (2005). Inconclusive evidence puts Adderall back on the market. CMAJ: Canadian Medical Association Journal, 173(8), 858. doi:10.1503/cmaj.051145
In the article “Brain Gain: The Underground World of “Neuroenhancing” Drugs” (Yorker 2009) Margaret Talbot discusses the misuse of prescription drugs that enhance academic performance at the college level. First Talbot introduces readers to a young college history major at Harvard University named Alex who receives a description of a demanding, busy life which seems impossible to control without the safety unapproved adopted use of a drug named Adderall. After that Alex’s dependency on the prescription drugs cognitive enhancers is described when he asks his doctor to increase the amount of intake and the listing of his daily routine on using Adderall during a week that required him to write four term papers. Next Talbot describes a personal
One of the main treatments for ADHD is the use of medication. Primarily the main medication used is stimulants such as amphetamines. Amphetamines have been used in this treatment due to its effects of reducing the symptoms of ADHD such as behavior and irritability (Hodgkins, Shaw, McCarthy, Sallee, 2012). A major concern though with the use of amphetamines is...
Over the last decade, a new epidemic has risen in America regarding the sustained trend in teens abusing and misusing stimulant drugs prescribed for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), specifically Ritalin and Adderall. There has been an increase in the number of teens diagnosed with ADHD and practitioners prescribing stimulants as treatment. These drugs are known in the teen community as the so-called “study drug”. An alarming high percentage of teens that are not diagnosed with ADHD are using this drug in attempt to achieve academic success as well as abusing it for recreational purposes. Due to the increase in teens being diagnosed with ADHD and being prescribed stimulants, the availability of ADHD stimulants has increased and are being abused and misused by other teens. In addition, caregiver’s lax attitudes as well as not supporting school safety prescription policies, has contributed to this disturbing trend in teens misusing and abusing the so-called “Study Drug”.
People with the ADHD condition have problems with control of impulse behaviors, paying attention and some may be found out to be very active. According to recent statistics, it has been unfolded that a lot of people especially those who abuse substances are not given ADHD treatment. It should also be noted that those patients with ADHD are at a higher risk of using illegal substances and drugs and therefore need to be accorded the attention that they require. It is also apparent that people with drug addiction problems are often misdiagnosed and as per this, they are not given the treatment that they truly deserve. As noted by Millichap (2009), poor or improper treatment leads to impulsiveness which makes the people to turn to substances such as cocaine, marijuana and other hard drugs to console themselves. According to a number of these drug users, they confess that the usage of the drugs makes them feel high and better without knowing of the dangers that they are presenting themselves to.
As a college student, the amount of students on powerful meds for ADHD and ADD is shocking. It is a topic seen in every classroom and heard in many dialogues. Conversations can be overheard frequently about how easy meds are to get and how effortless it is to receive a diagnosis. However, while I know that a vast number of students are taking prescription drugs for ADHD, I don’t think that I ever realized the full extent to which this disorder was effecting America’s youth. It wasn’t until I spent my time volunteering as a paraprofessional in a fourth grade classroom that I felt I truly understood the weight that the number of ADHD diagnosis’s were having on our nation’s children. The supervising teacher I was working with told me that in her classroom of 22 children, six of them were on some sort of prescription medication for ADHD, and many parents that I spoke to tended to blow off the risk factors involved, remarking that the drugs improved their school performance. I was shocked at this figure, especially because after working with the children, even on the days that they forgot to take their medicine, I found that by using different methods of instruction, many of the children didn’t seem to have much less trouble focusing than the children who did not have ADHD. So when we were assigned this paper, I set out to disprove the myth that children who act out in school have must ADHD and need to be put on prescription drugs in order to do well in school.
A very common disorder in children is attention deficit hyperactivity disorder or ADHD. These students have a difficult time holding attention due to the lack of the ability to concentrate. These students tend to act impulsively, have attention deficits, and sometimes exude hyperactive behaviors. Children that have ADHD do not qualify for special education unless they also have another disability. Approximately 7.8 percent of children from the ages of 4 to 17 have been diagnosed with ADHD, research also shows that males are more likely to be diagnosed with ADHD over women. These ratios vary from 4:1 to 9:1. These students with ADHD can be impulsive, which means they act before they think or before considering the situation that they are currently in. They also have a hard time concentrating and find it difficult to sit still. There are medications for ADHD, and they are prescribed often, there are also a variety of drugs that have been proven to make a child with ADHD more attentive and improve their academic performance. Unfortunately, these drugs have side effects such as weight loss, blood pressure chan...
Experts have different views on attention deficit disorder also known as Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) regarding diagnosis, medication and dependency in children resulting from use of stimulant. Minors under medication to prevent ADHD have been on the rise for the last 3 decades in the U.S. The diagnosis of ADHD varies, some states shows a high percentage of diagnosis. Production of stimulants such as Ritalin for ADHD treatments is on the rise, with scientists explaining that it is recommended for treatment.
Political correctness and the constant fear of impending litigation from any number of sources has forced society to find other means through which they can control their children. Though other avenues for treatment exist, recent developments in educational and familial systems have produced a situation where children are over prescribed stimulant medications to treat Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder for educational purposes. For that reason, we must consider the appropriate treatment for ADHD in education. Four main aspects to this issue need to be discussed in order to fully understand the situation: a description of ADHD, the symptoms of ADHD, the statistical information regarding the over prescription and a description/history of stimulant use, and some possible alternatives to drug therapy.
While dopamine satisfies the nucleus accumbens, which is the system in charge of focus, alertness, and fight-or-flight response, the sympathetic nervous system is activated by the epinephrine. Norepinephrine helps the communication between neurons and helps these activities last longer. These effects are the reason Adderall is prescribed to ADHD patients. However, these effects are also the reason why it has been found to be a prescription drug that is commonly abused by many. Known as the "smart drug" or "study drug" by many college-aged students, it is unfortunately not that hard for one to get their hands on
This could lead to hallucinations, paranoid delusions, and obsessions. (Amphetamine) Examples of amphetamines include adderall, benzidrine, and dexedrine. Students often abuse prescriptions for adderall as a study tool. I’ve known students at my previous school in Miami take adderall during every exam when they weren’t even prescribed it, which is a perfect example of amphetamine abuse. I’ve even heard of students becoming addicted to such drugs.